From me to happykat: sure can. (Just lightly on the digeridoo, please...It's bad enough with the flatmate's trombone.) How might we help at this point, though? blythe - you might want to do a fossick for Tony 'Buzan's Embracing Change.' The first half is good value, mostly, and I'm up to the chapter on business. The wild-eyed creature howling at the moon is probably me celebrating a few context shifts. Sounds like you're up to the 'feedback' gathering phase. I'm still working out what I want to try on. All your little wins can be virutally celebrated as well as treating yourself to something significant, decadent, or Truly Good. We look forward to sharing.

It sounds awfully earnest and precious when I put it in words. A while back I experienced a bit of a disaster and I'm at the 'build a new life' phase. There was a bunch of aspirations and goals which were all perfectly feasible, once upon a time, but they're not such sure bets any more. I've been a corporate - even degenerated into a cube-y for a few years in a sick building - and run my own wee business before the end of all that. happykat's reference led to CHAOS - Can't Have Anyone Over Syndrome - and reminded me about how reclusive I've become. I don't claim to be as magnificent as GiniDee and her hermit crab persona - it takes a New Yorker to carry that with aplomb and flair - but perhaps a limpet... Thanks for asking, blythe. I'm glad you stopped by.

Hi blythe I think it's repeats of the beginning phase and they're starting to DIG. This last couple of months I have looked under all the rocks and quite a few logs, too, to find all the bugs. Yesterday I thought I had it all ready to compile. The First Blueprint for a new life. Oh Ha! Dug out the paper and pencil this morning and it all fell into place all right - back into the chaos of the button box (the sort your grandma had. The one you could spend HOURS in just trying to find three buttons that matched...like that.) I shall try Barbara's sigh technique and hope my brain returns from whichever woods it's hiding out in very soon. Might you happen to know a direction to hard data (as opposed to hyperbole and serious bragging) about how to start a business from nothing and build it to around $10m worth in about five years? I know it is both legal and possible and has nothing to do with the usual means whereby (franchising, MLM and so forth. Serious, from the bottom.) You see, I'm a temperamental misfit when it comes to being a home biz person, or an analyst or a small biz person. However wild it sounds, it's entrepreneuring that's my dream - all evidence to the contrary. It is very important to me to know how to do the whole process so I can repeat it at will, improve as I go, share with other people. That's part of the Big Hairy Audacious Goal (thank you Jim Collins!) which I've tried a few times before but want to do again with more finesse. Eeek! I 'confessed'. Will the sun rise tomorrow?????

Hi blythe I'm not ignoring you. Seems like the notify system is on the blink or doesn't recognise being read through another browser. Yay, technology! The sigh technique is the one Barbara mentioned in her last audio tip. You can access them through http://www.geniuspress.com. They arrive weekly and take under two minutes to listen to. Useful. At the moment I have freeze-dried feet and panic. Where on earth did I get the idea that 'finding what I wanted' would result in assurance and abiding happiness???? Like standing on the diving board for the big kids for the first time. Yeek! Swallow dive and starfish landing! If you can find a copy of William Bridges book 'Transitions' you might find it comforting. I think it's been reprinted recently. From what he's said we're both in the Neutral phase and the flip flops are to be expected. When I'm a bit further along, I'd like to drop you a PM to spread out the heirloom and check for moth holes, if that's still ok. t.

Hi happykat Welcome back. I've been counting you as one of the gang since you first came by! The public post looks quiet-ish but there's also a traffic in PMs. Do I recall correctly that you were busy 'scrubbing space' (Flylady)and moving out of Chaos, as well as doing 'music for kids'? I'm down to the dregs of my own great upheaval (you can put that in capitals if you like. It feels about that big!) I'm contemplating rejoining the local Chamber of Commerce so I get to mix and mingle more. An antidote for hermit tendencies. And I'm working my way doggedly through 'Making Dreams Happen' - the audio version put out by mesdames Sher, Winter and Young. To kickstart my flat imagination. Found a great book (for me) about using humour to learn. I'm trying the one that says 'stop trying to be cute and original; start from the safe and familiar and let the imagination go on from there.' 'Original' hasn't worked for me this far - so I'll give it a go. PS I'm still grateful for your mention of the Flylady and the lead to Chaos. Oh how I've let that one be one of my favourite excuses! Nice to see it go, though. What would help you right now?

I didn't get far with the "babysteps", I perhaps need to modify it to suit where I am at. Last week though, I bought a whole lot more "sort'n'stores" and have started sorting through clutter, and filing it in the sort'n'store - much easier for me to use than a filing cabinet.

On Sunday I decided to post my version of Flylady's daily routines: (see http://www.flylady.net): not that I ever do much of it, but perhaps posting it will motivate me. I have reminded myself that posting it won't put me under any obligation to do all or even any of it, but it might help me to have the list and be able write \"done\" beside things. Morning routine: make bed morning yoga exercises, in four parts: head turn in one direction, knees in other knees apart stomach pumping nostril breathing meditate walk or run - have already spent quite a bit of time walking up and down in the sunshine. It is summer here in Australia, and I am wearing a skimpy singlet top, trying to tan in the right places for the dress I will be wearing for my sister's wedding in a couple of weeks' time. (This was at my mom's suggestion by the way - that kind of thing never would have occurred to me!) have breakfast - done take vitamins - done clean bathroom clean toilet wash face brush hair - done check calender PODA or To Do list 5 min room rescue 15 min trash collection phone calls - done Afternoon routine: Full yoga session with C.D. (if not already done today) meditate exercise (if not already done enough) 5 min room rescue - done 15 min trash collection start dinner - done Evening routine: living room kitchen entrance/hallways review checklist check calender start PODA or To Do list see if there is something else I can do ready for tomorrow things ready by door start breakfast clothes for tomorrow exercise (if not already done enough) If not already done today, do yoga session with C.D. meditate brush teeth, clean face pyjamas journal or reflection go to bed at a consistant time final reflection before falling asleep Weekly tasks: change sheets -done Laundry: in machine - done laundry: hung out - done laundry: put away empty wastepaper baskets vacuum mop mirrors and doors dust water plants 15 mins zone work fridge shopping pay bills file papers clean handbag/backpack clean car advertise business Wow, that should give me a lot of choices from day to day! It did get me thinking, adjusting the routine to suit me. I have also reminded myself that I can alter it at any point in time, and that if I get used to following a regular routine it will probably show up for me more clearly what patterns and plans suit me best, so that I will better know what further alterations to make. One alteration I have made already is to eliminate for the time being the 2 min hot spots, because I tried picking up some junk setting the timer for 2 mins, and it went off so soon that I thought I might as well have set it for 5 mins. There probably aren't really any \"hot spots\" in my house, as it is all just a big mess. Perhaps I will end up gradually extending the number of mins to set the timer for, so that it will become a longer-than-5-mins \"room rescue\":) I am certainly becoming a convert to using the timer! I found on Tuesday I didn't know where to start with picking things up, so it was easiest to just set the timer and then hurry to do what I could before it rang. Last month I cleared out the hallway cupboard for the purpose of freeing up more storage space, and yesterday I started putting some clothes in it as I picked them up off the floor. Not that I will be likely to always keep clothes in that cupboard, but for the time being it is a good way of helping me to make a new start, since my bedroom is such a mess:)